Diary: The Lady's Makgeolli Mayhem
Weather: Hot and humid. Step outside and you're basically sous-vide.
Lady's mood: 👹 → 🥴
Has she... calmed down...?
The lady blowing into the makgeolli bottle like a trumpet is adorable.
She gulped it down like a hamster stuffing her cheeks.
She won't even get tipsy anyway.
...Or should she not? Weird. Why are her cheeks turning redder?
Oh. I gave her the wrong one.
***
In the end, I got chased out. A foregone conclusion.
How do you calm a furious Lucresia when her anger's boiled over to the top of her head? At the very least, Rio had no idea.
Someone from my past life might wonder how I handled it back then.
'Couldn't calm her then either.'
I just watched from afar as she drowned mistress after mistress, until she burned herself out and let go. Of course, I didn't just stand by idly from the start. I even stepped forward once, thinking I'd try to stop her.
[If you try to stop me, I'll rip you apart first!]
Her threat made me back off in that instant. And honestly, her rage was justified anyway.
'No real reason to step in.'
But now? It's different.
The reason for her anger? No clue. But the target is me.
"...Why?"
The question kept circling back like a carousel.
Screeech—
Just then, someone emerged from the study, stretching their legs. It was Marie, the guard captain and personal maid.
"Sigh..."
She let out a massive sigh as she approached Rio, then looked up at him, matching her short stature.
"You should've gone to the lady first before grabbing the gift."
"Huh? That's the issue?"
"I saw you through the window."
"Ah..."
He let out a sigh of understanding. Still, he couldn't wrap his head around it.
'Seriously, why?'
Shouldn't you knock out the annoying stuff quick and savor the good times long? Seeing Rio tilt his head in confusion, Marie gave him a pitiful look.
"Good grief, how can you be so clueless about the lady's feelings?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"......."
"Just hand it over and go. I'll talk to her."
"Okaaaay..."
Rio handed the makgeolli to Marie, his hands trembling. What if her mood didn't improve? Would life even be worth living?
"Rooftop... roofteroo... diiiiving..."
Ignoring Rio's nonsense, Marie opened the door to head back into the study.
Screeech—
'Sigh, what an idiot.'
Thud—!
***
Through the massive door, she saw her maid entering, holding an unfamiliar wrapped box in both hands. It was probably the one Rio had been carrying earlier.
"......."
Lucresia wanted to ask if it was from Rio, but after her recent outburst, the situation felt awkwardly delicate.
Sensing this, Marie lightly curved her lips and spoke softly.
"Milady."
"...Yeah."
"Feeling sorry for Sir Rio now, aren't you?"
She bent down to pick up the inkwell spilled on the floor.
'Didn't break even after I threw it that hard.'
Or maybe she'd unconsciously held back. Seeing Lucresia's drooping eyes, that seemed more likely.
"...No."
"Really?"
"......."
No. She regretted it. After venting all her anger, doubts crept in—had it really been worth exploding like that?
'It could've happened.'
The finance office was on the way, after all.
"......."
No, no. Still, shouldn't he have come to me first? Who helped the most with the brewery construction?
'Me.'
Sure, she'd given the orders herself, but in her max self-centered state, that was a minor detail.
Anyway, shouldn't he visit the person who'd helped the most and spent the most time with first?
'Though Elir's help was the biggest in the end...'
With that thought, Lucresia puffed her cheeks. Marie covered her mouth, smiling at the sight.
"Haven't seen you like that in ages, milady."
"Me?"
"Yes."
She seemed to reminisce, glancing diagonally upward before lowering her gaze.
"There was that time as a kid when you got mad because the crown prince ignored you... This feels just like that."
"...Crown prince."
"...?"
A flash of killing intent flickered in Lucresia's eyes, then vanished. With all the post-regression busyness, she hadn't thought about it, but they were still engaged, right?
'It was around this time.'
Meanwhile, Marie sensed the brief killing intent from Lucresia and tilted her head. At first, she thought assassin, but it came from Lucresia herself. And in that split second, one question crossed her mind.
'Directed at who?'
Not Rio—the flames of that anger had already died down. So it had to be the crown prince she'd just mentioned, leaving Marie utterly baffled.
Three years ago, on a snowy winter day. When she'd first met the crown prince, Lucresia had secretly harbored a crush, her eyes sparkling as he held an umbrella over her. And now, talks of engagement conditions between the imperial family and her house were ongoing.
'Why direct it at someone she liked so much?'
Curious, Marie met Lucresia's gaze. But she quickly averted her eyes—suspicious.
"...Did something happen with His Highness?"
"...Nothing."
"Hmm..."
"Really, nothing happened!"
"Alright then."
She clearly didn't want to talk. Marie tactfully ended it there. Forcing it would only breed resentment.
'She'll tell me eventually.'
"......."
Meanwhile, Lucresia fidgeted, eyes darting everywhere. She couldn't bear her maid's probing stare.
"A-Anyway! What's that non-alcoholic stuff?!"
Her fledgling-like attempt to change the subject was pitifully endearing to Marie.
Amused by the cute gesture, Marie played along with a gentle smile.
"Yes, seems like it."
"O-Open it quick!"
"Of course."
Unwrapping it revealed a transparent glass bottle filled with sloshing liquid. Sediment-like powder piled at the bottom, while the top was a lighter white.
Slosh—
As Marie tilted it, the sediment rose like bubbles, clouding the whole thing.
"...Gulp."
Lucresia swallowed dryly. She'd waited nearly a month for this day. The makgeolli that quenched her throat with pajeon on rainy days—she was already addicted.
"Q-Quick, open it!"
"Of course."
Marie carefully gripped the cap and twisted.
Psssh—
Fizz escaped with the carbonation, foam bubbling from the seal. But no cup.
"Oh."
"W-What's wrong?"
"No cups. Wait a moment?"
"Got it! Hurry back!"
"Of course."
Screeech—
Click—
"......."
Silence enveloped the room. Clock ticks, rustling leaves in the wind, cicadas crying, and...
Swallowing sounds.
'C-Can't hold back!'
No alcohol? Just a beverage then. Lucresia grabbed the bottleneck and tilted it to her lips. She'd seen knights chugging from canteens on hot days. Recalling that, she poured it straight down her throat.
Gulp—gulp, gulp—!
Gulpgulpgulp—gulp—
Glug glug—
"H-Huh?"
Suddenly, the hollow echo of an empty bottle rang out.
'Already finished?'
Impossible.
'A month's wait ends like this?'
Unthinkable. Her eyes darted to the other package.
"...Gulp."
Downing this too might be irreversible. As she agonized...
Her guard's habitual phrase flashed in her mind.
"One more left."
'One bottle left.'
Her thoughts mangled the words, but she had no capacity to notice.
Riiip—!
Splash—!
She tore open the wrapping roughly, pop, psssh—! twisting the cap immediately.
"Hiiya~"
The fizzy aroma wafted out. Unable to resist, she blew into the bottle again, cheeks bulging as she gulped it down.
And then.
Screeech—
"...."
The study door opened, footsteps halting abruptly.
"L-Lady...! What in the world!"
Marie, back with the cups, was aghast at the scene.
"Blowing into the bottle?!"
"Mmm. Hehe. Tastes good."
"Oh my, oh my."
But her cuteness melted Marie's tension.
"Just this once, milady."
"Mmmph!"
'Even drunk, she's this adorable.'
As she smiled, a sudden doubt crossed her mind.
"...But wasn't it non-alcoholic, Rio?"
She glanced out the window at the tree.
Rustle—
Rio emerged—he wasn't gone after all.
"Uh... um..."
"What happened?"
"...What the heck, seriously."
"......."
Rio was clueless too.
'I definitely grabbed two alcoholic and two non-alcoholic.'
Pondering, he recalled something buried in his brain.
"Ah!"
"What?"
"Must've swapped with Elir's."
"Sigh..."
As Marie shot pitiful glares at Rio's eyes, Lucresia spotted him and pointed accusingly.
"Heyyy?! Where ya think you're going! Get back here!"
"Oof."
"You! Dog! Pooch!"
"Gasp...! Such harsh words...!"
"Come! To! Me! First! Dog! Bastard! Yah!"
"......."
"...Eeeeng. Hiiiing... sniff..."
The two watched, unsure how far this would go.
They panicked at the sniffling Lucresia.
"C-Captain! Q-Quick, calm her down!"
"You! You do it!"
"You're a woman! Better if it's another woman!"
"But you're the one she hangs with like friends! Hurry—!"
And then.
Zzz—
"...?"
"...?"
While they argued over who should do it...
Lucresia had snuck off to the couch, sound asleep before they knew it.
Snooore—
"She's asleep."
"So she is."
They quietly draped a blanket over her and slipped out of the study.